#1: Cook your meals to save money on food.
#2: Willy’s is my Favorite grocery store. I heard Lidl is the cheapest, but the produce doesn’t seem as fresh, especially the meat. Willy was also my favorite because it was cheap and close to my hostel. Coop was right below my hostel block, and I only went there when I didn’t want to walk 12 minutes to Willy’s or when they had a nice offer on their baked goods.
#3: Picadeli is a lifesaver when you don’t want to cook your meals.
#4: Sweden is a cashless society. Don’t bring too much cash or any cash at all. Usually, only grocery stores accept cash.
#5: Although, you are eligible to make a Swedish bank account, the process can be confusing. I recommend you use Revolut, YouTrip and/or wise (formerly transfer wise).
#6: You will soon realize that almost everything requires a personal number in Sweden and although we get a temporary personal number ending with a T it is not the same.
#7: Comviq’s sim card is better than Lyca’s. Period. Lyca doesn’t catch network in some European countries and can be especially unsafe if you don’t know your way and are solo traveling. Comviq on the other hand has a more reliable internet connection. This is based solely on me and my friends’ experiences.
#8: Download the mecenat app to have an electronic copy of your student card and your mecenat student card. Through the app you can also enjoy a variety of discounts on flixbus, hotels and brands.
#9: Whenever you buy tickets for a museum or tourist site always check if they have a student discount.
#10: As an adult student, you can enjoy youth prices for your västtrafik public transport rides. Checkout this page for more info https://www.vasttrafik.se/en/Tickets/more-about-tickets/Student-discount/ .
#11: On Fridays Swedes buy sweets and on Saturday they eat them.
#12: The Swedes leave little lamps and lights on in their windows during winter. This is because winter in Sweden is dark, and it is one way to spread light to your neighbors.
#13: There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.
#14: “Allemansrätten” or “the right to Public Access”, is law that gives everyone the freedom to roam and explore the natural beauty of the country as long as you don’t disturb and destroy it. In Sweden in general, you can walk, ride, cycle, ski and camp on any land you like, without the landowner’s permission.
#15: “Fika” is a coffee break with something sweet (cake, cookies, or pastries). If you are planning to go to Sweden, you have probably read a lot about the Fika culture already. But something interesting to note is that at workplaces and parties nobody dares to take the last cookie, pastry or piece of cake.
